Two Phoenix Fire Department rescue dogs and their handlers are heading to Washington to help find victims of a massive mudslide that claimed 29 lives last month.

The dog/handler teams from the Arizona Task Force One will join in the recovery effort in the 1,500 foot-wide search area in Snohomish County.

The search dogs have been trained in the detection of human remains and "indicate the position where the strongest scent is found with a focused bark alert," according to a Phoenix Fire statement issued Wednesday.

Search dogs Rogue and Booter and their human counterparts will depart from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 6 a.m. Thursday, said department spokeswoman Shelly Jamison.

The dogs and their handlers have been certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Authorities say 20 people are still missing from when the mudslide occurred March 22 northeast of Seattle.

Phoenix police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, suspects and even fresh currency. Meet the dogs
Phoenix police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, suspects and even fresh currency. Meet the dogs:

Sponsored by

Missy

Gender: Female

Breed: Labrador

Start of service: May 2013

Birthplace: Custer, Wash.

Assignment/specialty: Commercial Narcotic Interdiction Unit. Missy is trained in the odor detection of U.S. currency.

Fun fact: Missy is the Phoenix Police Department's newest odor-detecting canine and is training to become certified by the National Police Canine Association in the detection of U.S. currency. Besides loving to come to work every day, Missy also loves water and running through the sprinklers at home before and after work.

Ty

Gender: Male

Breed: Labrador

Start of service: December 2006

Birthplace: Arizona

Assignment/specialty: Drug Enforcement Bureau

Fun fact: While the other dogs in the office stand up when they know training is starting, Ty does not even lift a head until the door of the kennel is opened.

GIZMO

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: May 2013

Birthplace: Denmark

Assignment/specialty: Patrol

Fun fact: Likes to watch TV, especially "Keeping up with the Kardashians."

Fun fact: Echo is very athletic and loyal. She can jump a 7-foot wall, but she won't run away (any more). Echo also loves to swim and looks forward to a trip to the beach when she retires.

RONIN

Gender: Male

Breed: Dutch shepherd

Start of service: December 2009

Birthplace: Czech Republic

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He has apprehended a home-invasion suspect, and he likes Del Taco beef tacos.

CALHOUN

Gender: Male

Breed: Labrador/golden retriever

Start of service: November 2011

Birthplace: California

Assignment/specialty: Comfort dog in the Crimes Against Children Unit. He provides comfort and support to children during the investigative process.

Fun fact: Calhoun loves playing with his dog friends and doing tricks for treats. He can speak and give knuckles (his favorite trick is to bow). At home, Calhoun is a sock thief.

MURTAUGH

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: May 2013

Birthplace: Mexico

Assignment/specialty: Patrol

Fun fact: He likes to end the day with some ball playing in the park.

GARY

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd

Start of service: September 2012

Birthplace: Czech Republic

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: Gary "jumps up and down when he smells a bad guy."

RADAR

Gender: Male

Breed: Labrador retriever

Start of service: June 2006

Birthplace: Camp Verde

Assignment/specialty: Drug-sniffing

Fun fact: Radar worked undercover on the "Serial Shooter" case. Radar and his handler sat in the apartment next to the suspects, monitoring their conversations. They pretended to visit the people who actually lived there. Radar was new to police work at the time and kept going in one of the kids' rooms and bringing out stuffed animals to play with.

KENO

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: July 2012

Birthplace: Europe

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He's nicknamed "The Smidge" because of his small size.

HARO

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: May 2013

Birthplace: Mexico

Assignment/specialty: Patrol

Fun fact: He likes fried rice and watching "Cops" on TV.

TITAN

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd

Start of service: January 2012

Birthplace: Holland

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He found two separate burglary suspects on one call. One of the suspects was later found to have shot at police a week prior.

FRANKIE

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: January 2007

Birthplace: Europe

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: The oldest dog in the unit, Frankie had to pull luggage out from under a bed to get to a homicide suspect hiding there.

BLITZ

Gender: Male

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Start of service: February 2011

Birthplace: Europe

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: Blitz spends most of his off time, summer and winter, playing in the swimming pool.

ROCKY

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd

Start of service: April 2009

Birthplace: Europe

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He has apprehended a homicide suspect from a moving van. And he likes to swim, but does not like cats.

KAI

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix

Start of service: March 2010

Birthplace: Czech Republic

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He has seized over $1 million in cash and $1 million worth of drugs.

Gilly

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd

Start of service: March 2012

Birthplace: Czech Republic

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: Gilly is best described as serious, silly and curious. He lives with a retired K-9 partner.

WODAN

Gender: Male

Breed: Dutch shepherd

Start of service: May 2012

Birthplace: Netherlands

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: He has located a drug shipment of 800 pounds of marijuana and 35 kilos of cocaine.

Rabbit

Gender: Male

Breed: Black labrador

Start of service: July 2007

Birthplace: Canada

Assignment/specialty: Narcotics

Fun fact: He loves to play with his cat friends at home, and he was born on Valentine's Day.

Jerry

Gender: Male

Breed: German shepherd

Start of service: June 2008

Birthplace: Czech Republic

Assignment/specialty: Patrol/narcotics

Fun fact: Jerry located the suspect in the case of Peter "Chris" Bennett, 36, who was shot in the face in January. Jerry is allergic to people (human dander), and he enjoys the occasional french fry.